Intention
by J.J.Taylor
Summary: Checking in on Alex Rider and Meghan Blackstone. Spies lead difficult lives, especially when intentions are different. This was a curveball neither expected.
1. Chapter 1

Wow, it's been a while. I though some people would like to check in on Meghan and Alex. I'm not sure how long this will be. Reviews make for a happy author, which means a longer story.

This is rated T, for references to sex and language later. But I won't go into details about Meghan and Alex's personal life.

DISCLAIMER- Yeah, most of this isn't mine. But Meghan is

* * *

Barefoot and shirtless, Twenty-two year old Alex Rider padded down the hall of the London loft, flipping through the letters that had been haphazardly tossed on the table next to the door. A bill, another bill, a flyer from the fish and chips place down the street… Alex turned into the kitchen and dining room, pulled a magnet off the fridge and stuck the cardstock over a drawing done by Cosy. It was either the monster that lived under his bed when he was four or the family dog. Alex was still undecided as to which it really was.

"Anything Interesting?" A twenty-one-year old woman with auburn hair walked into the kitchen. Alex was amazed that she could still distract him with just a glance. But with her hair pulled into a messy bun, and wearing his favorite old tee shirt, Alex found himself very distracted. He tossed the envelopes onto the countertop and pulled Meghan close to him. She giggled as he buried his face in her neck. She tangled her fingers in his sandy-blond hair, cut fairly short.

"It's interesting that you're wearing my shirt. Give it back." His lips grazed her neck with every word and his hot breath smelled of coffee. Meghan pulled away, and twisted the hem of the shirt in her fingers.

"Are you going to fight me for it?" She teased. He growled a warning.

"That's my Favorite shirt, Meghan Anne. Give. It. Back." When she giggled again and started to run, he quite willingly chased her. Right into the room they shared.

* * *

"We're late, we're late, we're late." Meghan chanted under her breath. She dug under the rumpled bed, trying to find the other black pump she had kicked off. Last time she wore it was Jack's Engagement party, with the green dress and after they come home, she and Alex had….

"Your other black shoe is behind the umbrella stand by the balcony." Alex called, as he knelt down and grabbed the missing shoe. He dusted off the knees of his black trousers as Meghan tottered in on one heel. Both spies were wearing white button-down shirts, but Meghan was attempting to straighten her twisted pencil skirt and black pantyhose.

"Thanks." She said. As she tried to balance on one foot, she fell, and would have hit the ground if Alex wasn't so quick. This was the third or fourth time that Meghan had nearly fallen this week, and both were a little worried. What was wrong with her balance? Neither mentioned it as the two slid into the black car Royal and General had sent around. Alex sat, staring out the window, rubbing his stomach and bouncing his knee. Finally, Meghan had enough.

"Alex." She rested her hand on his knee, stopping the bouncing. "Relax. This is a follow-up to our last mission. It was neat, tidy, finished in two days and nobody died. They won't send us away for Jack's wedding. They won't." as she finished the speech, the black car pulled up to the royal and general. To any passer-by, Alex and Meghan looked every bit the wealthy young couple, walking arm and arm, checking their bank account to pay for their last trip to Prague. Nobody would guess that while in Prague the two had posed as patients in a long-term care facility that had been stealing millions of pounds from the dying people living there.

* * *

The lobby of the Royal and General has a buzz, a kind of white noise when you enter it. Meghan's eyes and head hurt, from the noise and bright lights. She felt nauseous again. These unexpected waves of nausea would strike at the oddest times, but she assumed they were a side effect of everything she'd seen.

"We're here to see Mrs. Jones. Alex Rider and Meghan Blackstone." Alex told the receptionist. Meghan pressed a hand to her forehead, and took deep breaths, waiting for it to pass. Alex looked down at her. She was pale, except for her flushed cheeks, and seemed a little sweaty. "Are you okay?" He murmured as the receptionist called Mrs. Jones to inform her of the young visitors.

Meghan nodded. "I'm just a little green about the gills." She said quietly. "Too much excitement this morning." When she coyly winked at him Alex decided she must be fine.

Much too quietly for anyone's comfort, Mrs. Jones arrived next to the spies.

"Hello Alex, Meghan. This way please." The words were punctuated by the pungent smell of peppermints. Meghan's pale face turned green. She swallowed several times, and took slow breaths. Alex tried not to notice, but had already started rubbing her back as they stepped into the elevator. With a whoosh, the elevator quickly passed the standard floor and deposited them onto the top floor.

"Alex, Mr. Blunt will see you now. Meghan, come and sit with me in my office." Alex hesitated and opened his mouth to protest, but Meghan was quicker.

"Go deal with Blunt. I just need to sit down for a moment." She said, resting her hand on his chest. He didn't move. "Go." She repeated and lightly pushed him. "The last thing we need is me puking on Blunt. He might send Ninjas after us or something."

Alex grinned as he hurried down the hall. Mrs. Jones ushered Meghan into her office and offered her a cold bottle of water and a package of crackers. As Meghan took a long drink of the cold liquid and nibbled at the dry crackers, Mrs. Jones watched her carefully. After about Five Minutes, the feeling had passed and Meghan stood.

"I should go give my report to Blunt and-"

"Sit down, Meghan. I need to talk to you about something, before Alex and Blunt join us." Meghan sat down again. Mrs. Jones perched on the front of her desk and folded her hands in her lap.

"Just how serious are you and Alex? Have you discussed marriage? Your careers? A family? Because if I know Alex as well I as think I do, he would be desperate to have a family, after losing his. He also does not want to stay in our employment. Blunt will offer to release him at the start of next year or sooner if proper reasoning is given. But you love this. You work for both us and CIA; will you walk away if Alex wants you to?" Mrs. Jones's dark eyes bore into Meghan's green ones.

"Mrs. Jones, I don't think that my relationship with Alex is the government's business. But, since you asked, Yes, Alex and I have spoken about Marriage at least. I don't want to get married. Ever. I'll just enjoy my life of sin. As for the rest, no. not in depth. But why are discussing this now? I'm twenty-one and don't plan on retiring just yet."

Just then, Blunt knocked on the door, opened it and ushered Alex to the seat next to Meghan. Blunt then stood awkwardly next to Mrs. Jones, as if this meeting was one that had never happened before. Blunt was the first to speak.

"Alex. We would like to terminate your contract, come January first of the New Year. However, we received some information could move that date up." Alex grinned, wider than Meghan had ever seen. But something still felt off to Meghan. Why had Mrs. Jones asked questions about her relationship with Alex?

"When am I released then?" Alex asked. Blunt and Mrs. Jones were not smiling.

"Medical testing was done on both of you at the care facility and the results were sent to us." Blunt stated. Alex and Meghan exchanged a look. Was Alex sick?

"Mrs. Jones, when am I released?" Alex repeated, his voice faltering.

"In April." Blunt said. "Right before Meghan's due date."

And then everything went black and silent for Meghan.


	2. Chapter 2

When Meghan opened her eyes again, she was laying on the ground in Mrs. Jones's office, a damp wash rag draped over her forehead. Alex was kneeling next to her, holding her hand, and Mrs. Jones was getting to her feet and reaching for a peppermint.

Blunt was standing, calmly, in the same position he'd been in, as if he'd hadn't even moved to catch Meghan as she'd crumpled to the floor. He didn't have to move. Alex was a spy after all. The quick response time was a trait of Alex's that Alan Blunt had always greatly admired. Even when Alan threw something as huge as pregnancy into Alex's life, he still had a reaction time like nobody Alan had ever seen. Reportedly, Alex's own father had let his mother drop to the floor in the office when they were told about Alex. Ian was the one to catch her. Blunt had made sure that little anecdote had gone into the file Mrs. Jones had prepared for the young couple detailing all the- options, as Blunt had put it- they had. Mrs. Jones had popped the peppermint into her mouth and was handing over a manila envelope.

"Take some time. Let this sink in. We'll be in touch." With that Alan ushered Mrs. Jones out the door, leaving the two young spies on the ground, envelope in hand.

* * *

The car ride back to the apartment was silent.

* * *

Meghan locked herself into the master bathroom as soon as they returned. Alex pulled out the first of the papers, finding it to be the results of the blood work- routine blood work of female occupants, they'd been told. This was not the official paperwork, but instead a copy, transmitted into the office of Smithers. Alex could just picture the fat man's face as he read the results. As well as he knew the two, Alex knew Smithers would feel just as conflicted as Alex was feeling.

A baby. The life Alex had dreamed of. A family, with a dog and children, and no missions to put anyone in danger. Jack would be thrilled, and insist on being Godmother. Lainey would fight her for it, Alex was sure. Tom could be the godfather, although Alex was sure that was opening up a world of bad Italian accents and mob references. As Alex sat and thought about how the people closest to the two would react, he drifted off into a daydream of bottles and pastels and picket fences. He didn't even notice Meghan opening the door.

A baby. The life Meghan was absolutely certain she'd never be able to handle. She was no Alex. She had no Jack or Ian in her life, just an elderly former spy who often fell asleep in his chair. The next closest thing she had to that type of family was Mimi, her half-sister, and the families who'd fostered Meghan over the past few years. So, basically, a psychotic ex-boyfriend's family and a family who never expected the young girl they'd allowed to live with them was one of the top twenty most wanted in the United States. Not the best material to grow up with. She didn't know how to handle a kid.

Meghan opened the door to the bathroom quietly. She grabbed a pair of sweatpants, and the first tee shirt her hands came into contact with- a bright yellow shirt from summer camp. Soon, this stuff wouldn't fit her anymore. Marching out into the kitchen area, she saw Alex. He was sitting at the counter where she often sat while he cooked and they both drank more wine than they should and the food would burn because they'd get distracted. No wonder they were in this mess. Alex was resting his face on his palm, elbow propped up on the granite, his eyes long gone off into a daydream. Now she came to ruin it.

"I don't think I can do it." She said. He snapped back.

"Do what?" Suddenly his brown eyes were full of something that Meghan couldn't even describe. He was looking at her in a way he'd never done before, and she didn't know how she felt about it.

"Have a baby. It's not easy. We're young. I like our life, the way it is." She twisted her fingers around her bare left ring finger. Alex always wondered when she did that if she wished there was a ring there, deep down in the subconscious or something. He knew she said no wedding but his mother's engagement ring had been resized and a ring guard had been purchased with Meghan in mind. Just in case.

"Are you saying you want to…?" Alex couldn't bring himself to say the words. Neither could Meghan, after seeing the look on his face. Killing the baby would kill Alex. Plus, the last mission was short. It took maybe two weeks. She was around two, two and a half months along. Too far, she thought, because it already feels pain. "Do you want to give it up?" Alex asked, after a long tense moment. Meghan couldn't answer that question either. The words choked her.

"Maybe. Jack or something. We'd still see it."

"It's not an it. It's our baby." Alex said with quiet anger. "Could you really walk away from something that both of us made together?" She hated when he was right.

"No. But I mean. It'll. I- I." Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm scared I'm going to fuck this up." She whispered. "I'm not good with people. A little person I'm responsible for? What- What do I do?" The few paces away from where Alex was sitting seemed like a million miles as he walked towards her. Tears streamed down her face, dripping onto the tile flooring. Meghan crying always unnerved him. He pulled her in close, and tucked her safely under his chin, her tears soaking the front of his button-down.

"I'm okay with people. And Jack will help us. You can be responsible for teaching our baby karate. And Tagalong. I suck at Tagalong. And you can teach it about families being different, with Mimi and Adam and Cosy. Face it. You've got weirder family than mine. And you can be the bad cop when the kid starts dating. Polish your shotgun on the porch and all." Meghan choked a little bit into Alex's shirt when he said that.

"Please" She mumbled. "Imagine if it's a girl. You'll terrify any boy who walks near her."

Alex snorted. "Not dating until she's thirty." He looked down into Meghan's eyes. They were always greener after she cried. "We can do this."

"Do I have to quit my job?" Meghan asked him. Alex hesitated.

"Maybe there are answers for us in the folder." He said. Meghan pulled away. This was an argument they'd never agree on. Alex started riffling through the papers. Meghan rested her hand on his.

"Let's not worry about it today. We need to call the doctor. And Jack and Lainey. They'll hate us if they don't know first. And think about maybe moving. And-"

"Marry me." Alex interrupted. Meghan hesitated.

"Not today. Ask me later." She whispered.

But, Alex thought, it was not no.

* * *

So... Hi. I'm still alive. Finished school for the year. sat around for a day thinking "now what do I do?". Read the last book. (I don't want to talk about it.) after I finished i thought "I kinda miss Meghan and Alex." and then I thought. "shit, there's a whole story I started and never finished!" so... hehe. I'm back kinda. I'm sorry if it's short. If it sucks. If you hate it. If you're confused. I've thought about all those responses... they are pretty justifiable. I went back and reread the last two stories. Wow. Four years... I'm much better now, I hope. TOTSC was- is- pretty terrible. I'm so sorry you had to put up with it. But thank you. And I'm sorry for long rambling author's note. I just wanted to say "Thank you" one more time... But I'll wrap it up because I sound like PBS asking for money. I'll update before next christmas, I promise!

~Jay


	3. Chapter 3

It's short. It's bad. But it's something. I hope Lainey is written alright. She's always been hard, but this is... a whole new subject for me to write for her. But we'll get more of Lainey in upcoming chapters, I promise. She helps me not hate Meghan. As much. I forgot how much Meghan and I don't mesh. Sigh.

Don't own... you know this by now, I hope.

* * *

Meghan sat with her head resting on the cool marble top of the counter in their kitchen. Her head hurt, her feet hurt, she had heartburn and worst of all, she just wanted to cry. She rarely cried before she met Alex. The Boss had not tolerated crying. Lately, it felt like all Meghan was doing was crying. Or puking.

"Don't puke. Don't puke. Don't puke." She mumbled. Alex chuckled behind her. She hadn't heard him come into the room. Being pregnant was not helping her spy skills at all. Alex walked over and rubbed her back, callused hands smoothing the yellow cotton sundress he'd forced her into.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked. "If you really feel that bad, I'll call the others and tell them…" Meghan silenced him with a wave of her hand and a shake of her head.

"We need to tell them. And the whole gang will be there." She turned around on the barstool and buried her face in his stomach. Alex wrapped his arms around the young woman as she sighed loudly. "Let's go."

* * *

"I love coconut muffins! Yes I doooooo!" Mimi warbled into her spoon. Adam rolled his eyes at the seventeen year old girl, with her pink streaked hair and stud in her nose. Mimi'd spent a lot of time with him since they had gone hunting for his former foster sister and Mimi's half-sister. Meghan and Mimi were friends, but it was hard for the girls to come to terms with their views on their mother. Mimi wanted Meghan to jump back into her mother's arms. Meghan couldn't. He took another sip of his beer and looked around the table at the crab shack Alex had told everyone to meet up at to celebrate his birthday.

There was Alex's family- Jack and her husband, a man Alex called Wolf, and Alex's best friend Tom. And then there was family Alex had gotten stuck with when he decided Meghan was it. Matt and Lainey, tan as ever from a mission in the Riviera (Mimi complained that those two got the best missions.) were arguing at one end of the table while Adam's own mother was chatting happily with Meghan's foster parents from California. Their daughter, Cosey, was playing tic-tac-toe with Tom and he was losing miserably. It was a larger gathering than most of the time with this family. There were seven spies attending this lunch, including Meghan and Alex. But everyone was expecting an announcement from the two. Alex had gone to Adam, and to Meghan's foster family in California for permission to marry her. Adam thought it was a sweet, if old fashioned gesture, but was a little worried Meghan would say no. However, Lainey was sporting a small sparkler on her hand. So it was shaping up to be an interesting afternoon.

Meghan and Alex approached the back of the restaurant towards their families. Meghan wrapped the grey loose fitting cardigan more securely around her. Alex rolled his eyes.

"You can't tell with the sweater on. Really."

Meghan grumbled something Alex couldn't hear as Jack called to him.

"Alex! Get over here!"

Hugs were exchanged, and refused by Meghan. She grabbed Lainey's arm right away.

"Pee break! Order me lemonade and coconut muffins!" As she dragged Lainey away to the woman's room.

* * *

"Seriously? You just got here." Lainey complained as Meg checked under the stall doors. Empty. Empty. Empty. Empty. Perfect.

"I have something to tell you." Meghan whipped back to face Lainey, who was leaning up against the sink, arms crossed.

"Me too." Lainey grinned. "Same time?" As she asked, Lainey cocked her head to the side, the blonde sun-bleached ponytail swaying in the reflection of the mirror. Meghan's reflection looked odd compared to the tanned, strong, figure of her best friend. She felt dumpy and a little fat. She nodded. Lainey held up one finger. Two fingers. Three

"I'm engaged!"

"I'm pregnant."

"What."

"What? When did he ask you?"

Lainey waved her hand, brushing the question aside like cigarette smoke.

"When did you find out? How far along? Are you getting married? Are you keeping it?" Lainey was practically yelling the last question.

"Shhhh! We found out three weeks ago, 13 weeks give or take, don't know and he wants to." Meghan twisted the edges of the long cardigan around her fingers. "He really wants to." She said quietly.

"This is. This is… Awesome! I'm so doing your baby shower- right? Oh, and your mom can help me! Not your real mom, does she know? But Adam's mom and mimi! They'll help! What color are you painting the spare room? Are you going to find out if it's a boy or a girl? Oh, this is-"

Lainey finally noticed the look Meghan was shooting her way. "This is a good thing Meghan. You guys love each other. This baby will be loved." The blonde woman took and covered her best friend's hands. "I'm so jealous." She smiled. Meghan smiled back too, but her eyes were watering. Lainey raised an eyebrow. "Are you crying?"

"I do it all the time now, I swear to god. That and puke." She giggled as Lainey pulled her into a hug. The two stood there, hugging, giggling and crying a little, until the door swung open and a woman walked in.

"Oh-Sorry?" Both the girls giggled.

"We need to get back to your baby-daddy" Lainey teased, wiping a tear away and linking arms with Meghan.

"What about your Fiancé?"

"Dear God, I agreed to marry Matt. I'm crazy."

* * *

So there you go. I'll talk more about Lainey and Matt in later chapters, which are started and I gave myself deadlines. Yup. Should help. Also, I've noticed something happening lately- Fan art. I want in on that train. I, however, draw like a four year old. If you have skills, show 'em off. You may even get a little shout-out. Or maybe some super secret information I have. Who knows? Think about it. Review and all that Jazz.


End file.
